I created this recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Smoked Bacon and Beer in honor of San Diego Beer Week and used one of my favorite local San Diego beers called Arrogant Bastard Ale. (Is that the best beer name ever?) This dish rocks. It's sweet, salty, smoky, and tangy. It's great with beer buddies like pork and beef and goes really well with chicken sandwiches and salmon burgers.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, for easy clean up. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Brush flesh with a little bit of olive oil. Place flesh side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon. Cook, turning frequently, until browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-toweled lined plate to drain. Cool completely. Chop finely, reserving one slice for garnish.

3. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and set aside.

This is unreal. Now will have to prepare this. Yesterday ate lunch at Gabe's here in town and had a side of sweet potatoes with sausage, peppers and onions. All of it was all diced and browned in olive oil with seasonings that the chef would not disclose. It was the greatest. Do you think that it could be done with butternut squash? I have 4 of them that I need to do something with. Thanks for this recipe.

It's liked you climbed inside my husband's head! His three favorite substances, in order, are beer, bacon, and maple syrup! And I have lots of sweet potatoes from my CSA box lying around. Thank you thank you thank you.

You left out my favorite part of this beer... the back of the bottle. It's truly hilarious! In this household, I'm the one who won't eat sweet potatoes (unless they are fried deeply enough to remove the sweet potato flavor!).